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ONE  HUNDRED 
YEARS 

1 816-1916 


WM.H.HORSTMANN  CONfPANY 

PHILADELPHIA       NEW  YORK 


>7n(-,nnr)Dc  V  v)( «  »  x  x  )<->< « ii  >< «  x  )Oi:  i;  .v  h  xx  x  )nnnna 


"^  ii- 


WILLIAM    H.    HORSTMANN 

1785-1850 
The  Founder  of  the  Businesa 


ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS 


1816-1916 


THE  CHRONICLES  OE  AN  OLD  BUSINESS 
HOUSE  IN  THE  CITY  OF  PHILADELPHIA 


'  The  secret  of  success  is  constancy  to  purpose  " 

— Beaconsfield 


WM.  II.  HORSTMANN  COMPANY 
PHILADELPHIA  NEW  YORK 


COPYBIGHT,    1916,  BY    WM.  H.    HOKSTMANN   COMPANY 


PRINTED    BY   J.    B.    LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY 

AT  THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PRESS 

PHILADELPHIA,   U.  S.  A. 


PART  I 
HISTORICAL 


PART  I 

HISTORICAL 

HESE  are  the  chronicles  of  an  old  business 
house  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia  and  a  brief 
biography  of  the  founder  of  that  house  together 
with  some  account  of  those  who  have  followed  in 
his  footsteps. 

The  founder  of  the  business  now  known  as  William  H. 
Horstmann  Company  was  William  H.  Horstmann,  a  native 
of  Cassel  in  the  Province  of  Hesse-Nassau  in  Germany. 
Born  in  the  year  1785,  in  the  days  when  Frederick  the  Great 
was  about  to  close  his  striking  career  and  when  time  had  just 
given  birth  to  the  lusty  new  nation  of  those  days,  the  United 
States  of  America,  the  boyhood  of  young  Horstmann  was 
marked  by  stirring  episodes  and  epochal  events  that  were 
momentous  in  the  history  of  the  human  race.  Individual 
liberty  was  asserting  itself  more  and  more,  class  privileges 
were  being  narrowed  and  swept  away,  and  the  old  order  was 
gradually  giving  place  to  the  new.  The  French  Revolution, 
too,  was  smouldering  under 
the  thin  lava  of  armed  sup- 
pression and,  uncontrollable, 
would  soon  break  out  in  vio- 
lent ferocity  and  atrocious 
disregard  of  the  very  human 
rights  it  was  designed  to 
champion.  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte, also,  whose  youth  was 
about  to  merge  into  the  activ-  old  cassel 

ity  of  early  manhood,  was  soon  to  begin  the  marvellous 
career  that  enchained  the  attention  of  the  whole  world  until 
his  star  paled  and  set  beyond  the  heights  of  St.  Helena. 

It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  young  Horstmann  was 
deeply  impressed  by  all  these  stirring  events,  and  that  his 

7 


views  at  a  later  period  would  be  founded  on  the  experiences 
of  his  boyhood  years  as  well  as  on  the  liberalism  that  was 
spreading  then,  like  wildfire,  over  almost  the  whole  extent  of 
the  civilized  world. 

In  olden  days  many  occupations  required  a  seven  years' 
apprenticeship  to  master  their  intricacies  and  some  of  these 
now  termed  trades  were  known  then  as  professions.  The  art 
of  the  'passementier'  was  one  of  this  kind,  and  it  is  of  such 
importance  that  its  name  is  found  to  have  a  similar  root  in 
most  languages.  A  very  old  writer,  Boyd,  refers  to  an 
article  of  apparel  'passemented  with  gold,'  and  this  brief 
reference  supplies  a  generic  meaning  for  the  word:  broadly 
that  of  ornamentation  or  decoration. 

The  work  of  the  passementier  included  the  weaving  of 
narrow  textile  fabrics,  such  as  dress  and  upholstery  trim- 
mings and  coach  laces,  as  well  as  the  making  of  epaulettes, 
aiguillettes,  sword-knots  and  countless  other  articles  for  mili- 
tary equipment.  The  material  entering  into  the  production 
of  these  goods  was  of  the  greatest  variety,  embracing  silk, 
worsted,  linen,  cotton,  and  gold  and  silver  threads. 

The  father  of  young  Horstmann  was  the  third  in  direct 
family  descent  who  had  mastered  the  passementier 's  calling, 
and  consequently  the  boy  as  he  grew  up  had  every  opportunity 
for  learning  the  business  thoroughly.  He  served  his  appren- 
ticeship with  his  father,  and  thus  had  superior  advantages 
for  acquiring  a  good  knowledge  of  many  details  not  usually 
within  the  reach  of  an  ordinary  apprentice.  The  manner  of 
learning  a  handicraft  that  prevailed  in  those  days  was  a  good 
one,  and  as  it  had  a  direct  bearing  on  the  future  of  the  young 
apprentice  some  reference  to  it  may  be  made  here. 

The  Trades  Guilds  or  'Gilds'  which  had  their  inception 
as  long  ago  as  the  seventh  century,  some  claim  early  Grecian 
and  Roman  times,  grew  to  amazing  proportions  through  the 
Middle  Ages,  until  at  last  they  reached  their  height  in  the  four- 
teenth and  fifteenth  centuries.  From  that  time  they  gradually 
declined,  but  young  William  H.  Horstmann  had  the  good 
fortune  to  be  trained  under  that  system  and  to  derive  benefit 
from  the  thoroughness  it  inculcated  before  it  finally  gave 
place  to  the  new  order  of  things. 


The  organization  of  the  guild  rested  on  three  classes :  the 
apprentice,  the  journeyman  and  the  master.  A  youth  when 
apprenticed  or  indentured  would  serve  a  stated  length  of 
time,  generally  three  years.  The  life  was  by  no  means  easy: 
it  embraced  many  duties,  long  hours  and  severe  discipline. 

His  first  term  of  service  ended,  the  apprentice  now  com- 
menced a  probationary  period  of  four  years  as  journeyman : 
going  about  from  place  to  place,  obtaining  work  wherever  he 
could,  and  learning  more  of  his  handicraft  from  the  various 
masters  he  served. 

The  four  years  of  peregrination  over  and  with  good  rec- 
ommendations from  all  those  he  had  served,  the  journeyman 
could  now  aspire  to  full  membership  of  his  guild  as  a  master, 
but  before  realizing  that  ambition  he  was  required  to  exhibit 
his  masterpiece  as  conclusive  evidence  of  ability  to  hold  that 
rank.  The  article  to  be  made  was  often  specified  by  the  guild, 
but  more  frequently  was  chosen  by  the  candidate  himself. 
Whatever  the  specimen  submitted,  it  had  to  show  ingenuity 
and  skill  of  a  convincing  character,  otherwise  the  jealousy  of 
the  masters  would  exclude  the  aspirant  from  the  master  rank 
with  its  accompanying  and  eagerly  sought  privileges. 

The  guilds  had  many  good  features,  one  in  particular  being 
thoroughness  of  effort  in  learning  a  handicraft.  For  many 
centuries  they  did  a  useful  work  in  fostering  the  arts,  but 
their  organization  and  spirit  dating  from  remote  times  made 
them  too  conservative  to  assimilate  modern  ideas,  so  that  in 
the  end  the  whole  organization  was  doomed  to  collapse. 

Young  William  H.  Ilorstmann  having  completed  his  ap- 
prenticeship, now  prepared  to  set  out  on  his  travels  as  a 
journeyman  and  one  fine  morning  with  his  modest  belongings 
in  the  knapsack  strapped  on  his  back  he  started  to  see  the 
world.  With  his  brother  by  his  side  to  hearten  and  cheer  the 
first  few  miles  of  the  journey,  the  young  man  bade  adieu  to 
home,  turned  his  back  on  the  past,  crossed  the  stone  bridge 
over  the  beloved  Fulda  Eiver— scene  of  many  happy  recollec- 
tions—and made  haste  to  reach  the  spot  where  the  last 
parting  was  to  be  made. 

With  staff  in  hand  the  young  passementier  traversed  the 


greater  part  of  Germany,  Austria,  Switzerland  and  France. 
At  the  early  age  of  twenty  he  was  working  in  Vienna,  a  city 
inferior  only  to  Paris  in  its  requirements  for  the  articles  he 
could  make.    Contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  he  prolonged  the 

probationary  period  much  be- 
yond its  regular  length.  It  is 
possible  he  could  not  command 
the  means  to  commence  busi- 
ness for  himself,  and  it  is 
certain  that  the  disturbed  con- 
dition of  Europe  at  that  time 
was  quite  unfavorable  for 
nearly  all  kinds  of  business. 
In  the  year  1809  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  William  H.  Horst- 
mann  became  a  soldier  and  participated  in  the  struggle 
between  Austria  and  France.  He  served  in  the  free  corps  of 
Major  Schill,  and  took  part  in  the  numerous  skirmishes  and 
sallies  against  portions  of  the  French  army.  The  young 
soldier  had  learned  to  ride  well  at  school  and  he  was  a  dexter- 
ous gymnast,  which  included  the  use  of  the  foils.  He  was 
well-fitted  for  service  in  this  dashing  corps,  and  enjoyed  the 
exercise  and  outdoor  activity  of  military  life  that  it  afforded. 
He  retained  his  connection  with  it  until  the  corps  was  dis- 
banded, following  the  death  of  its  commander  in  the  disastrous 
fight  at  Stralsund  in  the  Baltic  province  of  Pomerania. 


SQUARE   IN   OLD   VIENNA 


SOUVENIR   FIELD    PIECE 


A  cherished  souvenir  of  those  daj's  is  the  piece  of  field 
artillery  of  the  Napoleonic  period  that  later  came  into 
Mr.  Horstmann's  possession.    It  was  doubtless  a  model  made 


10 


THE   LOUVRE,    PARIS 
About  1815 


for  some  arsenal  or  museum,  is  constructed  of  brass  and  is 
complete  to  the  smallest  detail.  It  is  believed  to  have  been 
plundered  during  the  wars  and  sent  out  to  America  for  sale. 

Once  more  a  passementier,  William  H.  Horstmann  deter- 
mined to  return  to  France, 
where  he  had  found  superior 
opportunities  for  engaging  in 
this  field  of  work,  and  accord- 
ingly he  revisited  Paris  and 
remained  there  for  several 
years.  This  city  offered  many 
advantages  for  learning  all 
the  intricacies  and  refinements 
of  his  business,  for  Paris  has 
ever  been  foremost  in  the  production  of  articles  of  elegance 
and  luxury.  In  matters  of  dress  and  personal  adornment,  too, 
this  city  had  long  held  undisputed  sway.  Napoleon  at  this 
time  was  reviving  the  glories  and  traditions  of  former 
empires,  even  as  far  back  as  that  of  Charlemagne,  and  the 
military  and  civil  costumes  and  all  the  lavish  display  of  form 
and  color  that  he  fostered  for  political  reasons  gave  splendid 
opportunities  for  full  exercise  of  skill  and  ingenuity  on  the 
part  of  artificers  of  all  kinds.  In  this  way  the  workmen  of 
Paris  received  an  education  for  the  eye  and  a  training  for  the 
hand  in  the  deft  working  out  of  delicate  effects  that  made  them 
superior  to  all  competitors.  William  H.  Horstmann  profited 
by  this  unique  experience.  He  had  a  natural  taste  for  the 
artistic  side  of  life  and  this  was  cultivated  to  a  high  degree  by 
residence  in  the  gay  capital.  Naturally  ingenious,  he  became 
proficient  in  designing  novelties  and  soon  he  found  opportu- 
nity for  a  wider  exercise  of  these  useful  qualities  in  one  of  the 
largest  establishments  of  the  city.  Here  he  was  foreman  for 
a  period  of  two  years,  and  learned  much  that  was  to  be  of 
great  value  in  his  after  career. 

A  branch  of  considerable  importance  in  the  passementier 's 
art  was  the  weaving  of  narrow  fabrics,  and  particularly  those 
of  figured  design  in  what  was  known  as  a  draw-loom.  In  this 
loom  the  warp-threads  are  passed  through  loops  made  in 

11 


strings  that  are  vertically  disposed,  a  string  to  each  warp- 
thread.  The  strings  are  arranged  in  separate  groups,  and 
are  pulled  by  a  draw-boy  in  the  order  required  by  the  pattern, 
the  groups  being  drawn  up  by  pressing  on  handles.  The  loom 
operator,  as  he  plies  his  shuttle  through  the  varying  combina- 
tions of  raised  warp-threads,  assists  in  the  production  of  the 
pattern  through  the  use  of  numerous  treadles  placed  beneath 
his  seat.  This  to  and  fro  motion  of  the  shuttle  in  following 
the  pattern  has  often  to  be  done  hundreds  of  times  before  the 
design  repeats  itself.  The  work  of  operating  a  hand-loom 
called  for  considerable  exertion  and  no  small  amount  of 
dexterity.  In  addition,  each  time  another  pattern  was  re- 
quired the  loom  had  to  be  set  to  make  the  new  combinations, 
and  this  was  a  complicated  task,  for  the  looped  strings  con- 
trolling the  lifting  of  the  warp-threads  had  to  be  harnessed 
together  in  many  different  groupings.  This  was  a  time-con- 
suming task,  so  that  in  spite  of  its  usefulness  the  draw-loom 
had  many  restrictions,  and  weaving  on  it  was  naturally  a  slow 
process. 

The  whole  art  of  weaving  received  a  tremendous  impetus, 
and  civilization  was  benefited  as  much  as,  or  more  than,  it  ever 
has  been  from  the  hand  or  brain  of  any  one  man  when  Joseph 
Marie  Jacquard,  a  native  of  the  great  French  silk  manu- 
facturing centre  of  Lyons,  invented  the  Jacquard  Machine  in 
the  year  1801.  It  would  require  technical  description  and 
illustration  to  make  clear  the  working  of  this  marvellous  in- 
vention. It  effects,  by  simple  means,  what  formerly  had  been 
a  complex  and  tedious  operation,  so  that  now  the  most  varied 
and  extensive  patterns  can  be  woven  with  as  much  ease  and 
rapidity  as  a  piece  of  plain  cloth. 

The  early  history  of  the  Jacquard  Machine  has  a  particu- 
lar significance  here,  for  William  H.  Horstmann,  who  was 
then  an  adept  in  hand-loom  work,  saw  clearly  into  the  future 
and  made  a  study  of  the  new  loom  when  it  was  perfected  and 
introduced  to  public  notice  in  the  year  1808,  or  thereabouts. 
He  soon  mastered  its  difficulties  and  set  up  and  wove  some 
beautiful  and  intricate  designs.  A  profile  head  of  Napoleon 
that  he  worked  in  cut  black  velvet  on  a  crimson  ground  is  an 

12 


excellent  likeness,  as  the  reproduction  shows.    It  is  treasured 
in  the  family  with  the  care  it  deserves. 

Additional  interest  is  given  to  the  Napoleonic  portrait  by 
the  fact  that  Mr.  Horstmann  was  in  Paris  while  many  impor- 
tant events  were  transpiring  there.  He  shared  in  the  excite- 
ment attending  the  thrilling  events  of  the  memorable  'hun- 
dred days'  that  brought  the  political  and  military  career  of 
the  great  Bonaparte  to  a  close,  and  he  was  an  actual  witness 
of  the  last  scenes  accompanying  the  downfall  of  that  genius. 

Although  he  could  not  for- 
get his  native  land,  Mr.  Horst- 
mann enjoyed  his  long  resi- 
dence in  France.  The  gaiety 
of  the  French  people  as  well 
as  their  spirit  and  vivacity 
found  a  sympathetic  response 
in  his  own  temperament. 
Their  love  for  the  ornamental 
arts,  the  elegance  and  polish 
of  their  manners,  and  the 
simplicity  of  their  national 
life  all  appealed  to  him  and  it 
was  only  because  his  future 
beckoned  him  strongly  to  an- 
other land  that  he  decided 
upon  a  step  that  Avas  to  have 
great  consequences. 

The  golden  opportunities 
of  the  American  Continent  were  now  attracting  active  and 
ambitious  men  from  the  principal  European  countries,  and  the 
young  and  vigorous  nation  of  the  United  States  was  the  lode- 
star that  drew  William  H.  Horstmann  from  his  busy  life  in 
the  old  world.  Early  in  the  year  1816  ho  sailed  for  the  new 
land,  and  with  good  judgment  chose  Philadelphia  for  his 
future  home,  a  centre  that  then  gave  promise  of  becoming  the 
Lyons  of  the  new  continent.  His  slender  purse  w^as  the  only 
limitation  he  knew,  for  he  w^as  an  active  and  industrious  man, 
cheerful,  full  of  hope  and  optimistic,  as  all  true  pioneers  have 

13 


NAPOLEON 
From  a  cut  velvet  portrait  woven  by 
William  H.  Horstmann  about  1810 


ever  been.  He  found  employment  with  Mr.  Frederick 
Hoeckley,  a  fellow-countryman  who  had  been  long  settled  in 
Philadelphia,  and  who  was  carrying  on  business  as  a  passe- 
mentier,  or  what  was  known  in  this  country  as  a  coach-lace 
weaver. 

Soon  after  this,  Mr.  Horstmann  commenced  business  for 
himself  and  took  the  first  step  in  a  career  of  activity  and 

success.  The  business  was 
small  and  the  resources 
limited,  but  he  worked  with 
enthusiasm  and  industry. 
Within  eight  months  after 
his  arrival,  he  married  the 
daughter  of  his  former  em- 
ployer. At  this  time  the 
young  man  was  thirty-one 
years  old. 

With  an  industrious  and 
capable  wife  to  assist  him, 
the  modest  business  of 
William  H.  Horstmann 
soon  commenced  to  grow 
larger.  The  first  store  was 
in  the  building  No.  59  North 
Third  Street,  later  known 
as  No.  51,  of  which  only  a 
part  was  occupied.  The 
business  increasing,  an  en- 
tire store  was  rented  on  the 
same  street  and  next  door  to  the  hostelry  known  then  as  the 
'Harp  and  Crown.'  Increasing  prosperity  necessitated  fur- 
ther removals  to  other  parts  of  the  same  street  to  obtain 
sufficient  accommodation,  until  finally  the  property  at  No.  55 
North  Third  Street  was  bought.  This  was  followed  by  the 
purchase  of  a  lot  on  the  south  side  of  Arch  Street  between 
Second  and  Third,  on  which  a  comfortable  dwelling  was  built. 
The  business  and  residence  lots  ran  half  way  back  and  met 
each  other,  thus  giving  communication  on  their  own  ground 

14 


THE    FIRST   STORE 
51  (formerly  59)  North  Third  Street 


and  affording  space  for  a  garden  of  considerable  extent. 
Feeling  himself  firmly  established  in  business,  Mr,  Horst- 
mann  was  now  able  to  carry  out  a  project  he  had  long  enter- 
tained. In  the  year  1823  he  took  passage  across  the  Atlantic 
to  revisit  the  scenes  of  early  days.  The  first  part  of  his  trip 
ended  disastrously  in  shipwreck  on  the  rocks  near  the  en- 
trance to  Le  Havre,  France.  The  lives  of  passengers  and  crew 
were  saved  only  after  much  toil  and  great  suffering  through 


t'otC, 


^y>.S      STEPHEN  GIRAHD, 
Jij-a  Banker,  South  Third  Street, 

►•;;-«»  Pay  to    fy/3Q    _ 


» 


■•fh€rr^=JMlan,  —  Ctento. 


Dollars, 


BUSINESS   RELICS 


exposure.  After  a  pleasant  sojourn  abroad  Mr.  Horstmann 
returned  to  Philadelphia  and  about  this  time  a  branch  house 
was  opened  in  New  York  City. 

In  1824  the  first  Jacquard  Machine  brought  to  the 
United  States  was  imported  by  Mr.  Horstmann.  About  this 
time  he  also  introduced  the  first  plaiting  and  braiding 
machines. 

The  continued  growth  of  the  business  now  called  for 
increased  room,  and  in  1831  a  new  factory  was  erected  at 
the  corner  of  Germantown  Road  and  Columbia  Avenue.  It 
was  a  large  four-story  building  of  brick,  having  about  twenty 


15 


windows  on  each  floor  of  the  Columbia  Avenue  front,  with 
probably  about  half  as  many  on  the  side. 

In  1850  Mr.  Henry  V.  Allien,  a  gentleman  of  French 
descent  related  to  an  old  friend  of  Mr.  Horstmann  living  in 
the  Commercial  Capital,  was  taken  into  partnership  in  the 
New  York  Branch. 

The  two  older  sons  of  William  H.  Horstmann,  William  J. 
and  Sigmund  H.,  born  in  1819  and  1820,  had  been  educated 


II  I  l|lllll!llllll|  III! 
I  I  l|||  I  l|llf  llilllllll  Mil 


THE    OLD    MILL 

Germantown  Road  and  Columbia  Avenue 


at  a  Moravian  Seminary  near  Lancaster,  Pa.  They  were 
fortunate  in  receiving  a  good  training  from  a  sympathetic 
teacher  whose  character  greatly  impressed  the  boys  and  had 
a  decided  influence  on  their  after  lives.  Their  further  in- 
struction was  followed  up  in  Philadelphia :  a  plain  and  prac- 
tical but  sound  education,  fitting  each  at  about  the  age  of 
fifteen  to  begin  business  life.  William,  the  elder,  had  a  de- 
cided taste  for  science  and  mechanics,  and  he  made  many 


16 


ingenious  models.  A  model  hand-loom  complete  in  every 
detail  was  constructed  by  him  at  that  time  and  is  still  in 
perfect  working  order.  The  commencement  of  his  career  in 
the  factory  was  on  the  bottom  rung  of  the  ladder,  and  step-by- 
step  he  learned  every  branch  of  manufacture.  He  sat  at  a 
loom  until  he  was  able  to  weave  every  article  they  made.  He 
went  through  the  various  departments  and  mastered  all  their 
details.  He  was  also  a  very  good  draughtsman  and  had 
excellent  taste  in  design. 

Siginund's  tastes  were  mercantile.  He  had  a  gift  for 
organization,  had  all  the  qualities  required  in  good  business 
generalship,  and  had  the 
ability  to  marshal  things  in 
effective  array  for  carrying 
out  comprehensive  plans. 

When  the  sons  took  up 
their  duties  in  their  father's 
business,  its  continual  growth 
was  apparent.  The  factory 
at  Germantown  Road  and 
Columbia  Avenue  was  becom- 
ing too  small  to  meet  the  in- 
creasing demand.  William  J. 
Horstmann,  the  youthful  su- 
perintendent, had  his  quar- 
ters in  the  factory  so  as  to  be 
always  on  the  spot— the  first  at  his  post  before  the  workmen 
took  their  places  in  the  morning,  Sigmund  being  likewise  at 
his  place  in  the  counting-house  and  salesrooms.  That  the 
head  of  the  house  reposed  implicit  confidence  in  the  ability 
and  integrity  of  his  sons  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  when 
William  H.  Horstmann  took  another  trip  to  Europe  in  1838, 
this  time  accompanied  by  his  eldest  son,  William  J.,  he  left 
Sigmund  in  entire  charge  of  the  business.  Sigmund  was 
then  only  eighteen  years  old,  and  he  conducted  his  charge 
successfully  until  the  following  year,  when  the  two  travellers 
returned  from  abroad. 

This  second  trip  to  Europe  gave  William  H.  Horstmann 


MODEL   OF   HAND-LOOM 

Made  by  William  J.  Horstmann  in  1835 


17 


much  pleasure  and  satisfaction,  naturally  enhanced  by  the 
presence  of  his  eldest  son.  He  showed  the  young  man  all  the 
loved  and  well-remembered  spots,  and  enjoyed  the  incidents 
of  their  holiday  with  keen  relish.  He  compared  the  condition 
of  things  abroad  with  that  prevailing  in  the  land  of  his  adop- 
tion, and  congratulated  himself  on  his  good  fortune  in  having 
taken  the  wise  step  of  emigrating.     He  was  now  a  man  of 


WILLIAM   J.    HORSTMANN 
1819-1872 


means,  with  an  extensive  business  that  was  still  expanding 
regularly  from  year  to  year.  He  had  a  prominent  place 
among  the  merchants  and  manufacturers  of  America,  his 
name  was  respected  and  honored  in  the  country  of  his  adop- 
tion, his  firm  had  a  high  reputation  and  his  credit  knew  no 
bounds. 

In  Paris,  Vienna  and  other  cities  he  sought  out  his  friends, 
made  many  new  business  connections  and  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  a  large  import  trade  that  has  grown  steadily  ever 

18 


since.  He  was  already  an  importer  of  numerous  goods  that 
were  sold  in  Europe  much  lower  than  the  cost  of  their  manu- 
facture at  home.  He  now  added  many  new  articles  to  this 
list  and  materially  increased  the  source  of  his  foreign  sup- 
plies. As  an  experiment  he  bought  a  large  quantity  of  fancy 
goods,  and  this  was  the  inception  of  the  large  fancy  goods 
branch  of  the  business. 


m^i 


SIGMUND   H.    HORSTMANN 
1820-1869 


After  Mr.  Horstmann's  return,  and  with  his  two  sons  to 
aid,  the  business  kept  on  increasing.  In  the  year  1842,  accom- 
modation being  inadequate,  the  old  premises  at  No.  55  North 
Third  Street  were  torn  down  and  a  new  five-story  brick 
building  was  erected,  having  a  fine  store  on  the  ground  floor. 
The  upper  floors  were  used  for  manufacturing,  the  factory 
at  Germantown  Eoad  still  being  carried  on.  Being  on  a  deep 
lot  an  additional  building  of  three  stories  was  put  up,  which 
added  greatly  to  the  sjDace  for  salesrooms  and  factory.   The 


19 


/^ 


suburban  factory  was  reserved  for  the  large  looms  working 
on  staple  goods,  for  the  preparation  of  warps  to  be  used  in 
all  looms,  and  for  spooling  and  similar  uses.  The  city  factory, 
now  employing  a  larger  working  force,  was  used  for  the 
manufacture  of  dress  trimmings,  coach  goods  and  numer- 
ous small  goods,  and  for  the  filling  of  miscellaneous  daily 
orders.  The  general  office  was  now  placed  in  the  new  build- 
ing, and  William  J.  was  able  to  leave  his  factory  quarters 
and  resume  his  home  life. 

At  this  period  Third  Street  was  one  of  Philadelphia's 
main  business  streets,  the  corner  of  Third  and  Market  Streets 
being  almost  the  commercial  hub.  Between  Market  and 
Arch  on  Third  Street  there  were  many  prominent  business 
houses.  Adjoining  on  the  north  was  the  bookselling  and 
blank-book  manufacturing  place  of  Wm.  G.  Mentz.  To  the 
south  the  large  china  and  glass  importing  house  of  Mott  and 
Schober  stood.  Farther  south  was  the  store  of  Warder 
Morris,  a  dnig  dealer,  adjoined  by  the  'City  Hotel'  (suc- 
cessor to  the  old  'Harp  and  Crown')  kept  by  Dunlap,  and  at 
that  time  a  favorite  resort  for  merchants  from  the  south  and 
west.  Below  there  were  many  other  merchants,  mostly 
wholesale  dry-goods  dealers.  On  the  west  side  Benjamin 
Bullock  had  his  extensive  wool  warehouse,  with  the  whole- 
sale wine  and  liquor  business  of  John  Angiie,  Jr.,  nearby. 
Phipps  and  Sons  carried  on  a  hardware  business  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  Third  and  Arch  Streets,  the  southeast 
corner  being  occupied  by  Robert  Stevens,  a  toy  and  fancy- 
goods  importer. 

The  day  of  huge  business  buildings  had  not  dawned,  and 
when  the  Horstmann  building  was  erected  it  attracted  much 
attention  because  of  its  commodious  plan  and  handsome  ex- 
terior. A  feature  that  became  celebrated  was  the  great  sign 
running  across  its  entire  front,  on  which  a  large  shield  and 
a  great  eagle,  with  flag  trophies,  sabres,  drums,  shakos,  knap- 
sacks and  other  military  emblems  were  blended  with  much 
ingenuity.  The  piers  supporting  a  cornice  of  the  building 
itself  were  decorated  with  halberds  and  fasces  in  high  relief, 
while  over  each  door  and  bulk  window  were  such  devices  as 

20 


crossed  swords  and  shields  of  Greek,  Roman  and  Oriental 
design. 

The  building  of  the  new  premises  marked  an  important 
event  in  the  history  of  the  house,  for  in  January,  IS-iS,  the 
two  sons  were  taken  into  partnership,  and  the  firm  then 
became  known  as  Wm.  H.  Horstmann  &  Sons.  The  young 
men  were  still  known  as  '  the  boys. '  They 
had  never  received  any  stated  salary,  but 
drew  money  as  they  needed  it  for  their 
wants  and  charged  it  to  themselves  in  the 
books.  The  great  trust  reposed  in  them 
by  their  father  was  never  abused.  Even 
after  the  tripartite  partnership  was 
fonned  no  articles  of  agreement  were 
considered  necessary :  father  and  sons 
dividing  the  profits  from  time  to  time 
informally  on  occasions  that  suited  their 
mutual  convenience. 

Early  in  the  year  1845  William  H. 
Horstmann  retired  from  business,  leav- 
ing his  capital  in  the  hands  of  his  sons. 
He  could  not  give  up  work  entirely,  how- 
ever, and  accordingly  he  came  daily  and  *= 
carried  on  the  active  superintendence  of 
the  interests  he  had  founded.  The  study 
of  efficiency  and  economy  in  manufactur- 
ing is  not  a  modern  idea:  it  has  been 
carried  on  more  or  less  by  thinking  minds 
from  the  earliest  times.  Mr.  Horstmann 
went  into  such  matters  with  the  thorough- 
ness that  characterized  all  his  methods 
and  following  all  the  articles  he  made,  from  their  first  begin- 
ning in  the  raw  material  until  finished  and  packed  for  ship- 
ment, he  kept  careful  record  of  cost  at  every  stage  of  manu- 
facture, studied  to  prevent  waste,  aimed  to  reach  the  highest 
standard  of  perfection  in  material  and  design,  and  succeeded 
in  gathering  about  him  a  small  army  of  intelligent  workers. 
His  nominal  retirement  from  business  was  dictated  more  by  a 


THE    SALESROOMS    IX    ' 
EARLY  FIFTIES 
723  Chestnut  Street 


21 


wish  to  show  full  confidence  in  the  ability  of  his  sons  than 
for  any  other  reason.  The  gap  between  former  and  present 
times  can  never  be  bridged  entirely,  and  the  withdrawal  of 
the  head  of  the  Horstmann  house  was  perhaps  a  tangible 
expression  of  an  underlying  feeling  that  two  young  men  of 
ability  were  better  able  than  he  to  conduct  the  large  business 
on  the  more  modern  lines  its  growth  demanded. 

The  business  kept  increasing  in  extent  and  importance. 
The  factory  on  Third  Street,  helped  even  by  considerably 
enlarged  premises  in  the  suburban  annex,  had  become  in-; 
adequate  to  meet  all  demands.    Inconvenience  had  resulted . 


THE    MILL    AT    FIFTH    AND    CHERRY    STREETS 
Built  in.  1852 

from  the  twofold  location,  and  more  store  room  was  needed. 
A  new  branch  store  was  opened  at  723  Chestnut  Street  for 
the  sale  and  distribution  of  all  merchandise,  and  it  was  deter- 
mined to  bring  the  separate  factories  into  one  if  a  suitable  site 
could  be  found.  The  lot  of  the  German  Lutheran  Congrega- 
tion's burial  ground  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Fifth  and 
Cherry  Streets  was  subsequently  purchased,  and  in  1852  a 
fine  five-story  building  of  brick  was  erected.  Because  of  the 
then  residential  character  of  the  neighborhood  care  was  exer- 
cised in  designing  a  building  that  should  be  ornamental.  It 
was  the  first  manufacturing  structure  of  elegance  to  be 
erected  in  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  the  beginning  of  the  use  of 

22 


ornamental  brickwork  in  such  buildings.  The  principal  in- 
terior features  were  all  planned  by  William  J.  Ilorstmann. 
The  new  building  gave  more  room  for  comfortable  business 
expansion,  and  particularly  for  the  manufacture  of  ribbons, 


THE    FRIENDS     MEETING   HOUSE 


which   new"   branch   had   been   taken   up    some   two   years 
previously. 

The  building  stands  in  a  neighborhood  that  is  venerable 
and  full  of  old-time  associations.     The  Friends'  Meeting 


ST.  Michael's  Lutheran  church 

Built  in  1743 


House  adjoined  it  immediately  to  the  east,  and  opposite 
stood  St.  Michael's  German  Lutheran  Church,  the  erection 
of  which  dated  far  back  into  the  earliest  days  of  the  City. 
Not  far  away  was  Christ  Church,  a  revered  relic  dating  back 


23 


to  the  year  1695,  and  containing  the  oldest  bells  in  North 
America.  The  Betsy  Ross  Flag  House  and  famous  old 
Independence  Hall  are  quite  near.  A  beautifully  executed 
picture  of  the  latter,  woven  in  silk  by  Wm.  H.  Horstmann  & 
Sons,  has  been  preserved.  The  grave  of  Benjamin  Franklin, 
also,  and  the  Meeting  House  of  the  Free  Quakers  are  less 
than  a  block  away.  In  fact  the  whole  surrounding  district 
is  crowded  with  relics  of  former  days,  many  of  them  being 
of  national  historic  importance. 


OLD    CHRIST   CHURCH 
North  Second  Street 


BETSY   ROSS   HOUSE 
239  Arch  Street 


A  considerable  addition  to  the  loom  and  other  manufactur- 
ing facilities  was  made  in  the  year  1857,  when  the  entire 
patent  rights,  plant  and  stock  of  the  Clinton  Company,  of 
Clinton,  Mass.,  manufacturers  of  coach-laces,  were  purchased 
and  added  to  the  Horstmann  plant. 

Still  more  room  was  needed,  and  in  the  year  1857  the 
Friends'  Meeting  House,  adjoining  on  the  east,  was  pur- 
chased, and  after  considerable  enlargement  was  converted 
into  salesrooms  in  1860,  thus  enabling  the  Horstmann 
Brothers  to  dispense  with  their  Chestnut  Street  Store,  and 


24 


also  the  Third  Street  Building,  consolidating  their  business 
in  one  location.  As  the  business  continued  to  expand  other 
property  was  bought  extending  north  to  Race  Street,  together 
with  some  adjoining  buildings,  so  that  now  a  frontage  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  feet  on  Fifth  Street,  about  two  hundred  on 
Cherry  Street  and  some  seventy-five  on  Race  Street  had  been 
reached,  an  area  that  gave  facilities  for  carrjdng  on  the  large 
business  in  the  conduct  of  which  every  available  foot  of  space 

I  has  been  utilized. 

',  When  William  H.  Horstmann  commenced  business  in 
Philadelphia  the  articles  he 
made  were  chiefly  those  de- 
scribed as  proper  to  the  passe- 
mentier's  art.  He  gradually 
took  up  the  manufacture  of 
military  equipments,  such  as 
pompons,  epaulettes,  hatbands 
and  similar  goods.  Military 
wares  and  manufactures  of 
metal  began  to  assume  impor- 
tance from  about  the  year  1828. 
A  German  sword-maker,  ar- 
morer and  metal-worker,  W^idt- 

mann,  had  carried  on  business  wm.  H.HSrstmannXsonsTn  i'sre 
for  some  years  on  Third  Street.  Mr.  Horstmann  bought  out 
this  plant  and  transferred  it  and  the  workmen  to  his  own 
factory. 

During  Jackson 's  administration  Mr.  Horstmann  had  par- 
ticipated in  the  discussion  of  the  War  Department  relating 
to  the  introduction  of  new  regulations  for  uniforms  of  the 
army  and  navy  and  later  an  important  book  on  United 
States  Army  Uniforms  was  published  by  his  sons.  It  con- 
tained illustrations  of  the  uniforms  authorized  by  the  new 
regulations  that  had  been  issued  from  Washington.  Some  of 
the  first  chromo-lithographs  made  in  Philadelphia  were  used, 
and  altogether  the  work  was  a  comprehensive  one. 

Shortly  after  the  opening  of  the  Mexican  War  there  had 
been  a  call  for  volunteers  and  Mr.  Horstmann  assisted  in 


INDEPENDENCE    HALL 
From  a  picture  woven  in  silk  by 


25 


raising  a  company  of  recruits.  Delays  ensued  before  the 
government  was  ready  to  take  over  this  force,  and  so  great 
was  Mr.  Horstmann's  enthusiasm  that  he  not  only  provided 
uniforms  and  equipment  for  the  whole  company,  but  sup- 
ported the  entire  strength  from  his  own  pocket  for  a  period 
of  some  eight  weeks.  This  was  only  one  of  many  ways  in 
which  he  showed  his  generosity.  His  patriotism  was  so 
warmly  appreciated  that  he  was  unanimously  elected  'hon- 
orary protector'  of  the  company,  known  afterward  as  the 
'Steuben  Rifles.'  It  did  good  service  in  the  war,  and  later 
sent  him  a  present  to  show  he  was  not  forgotten.  Their  gift, 
a  threefold  trophy  of  actual  war,  was  made  up  of  Mexican 

saddles  mounted  in  silver,  a  general's 
coat  richly  embroidered  in  gold,  and 
a  'spare'  cork  leg  of  Santa  Anna, 
complete  with  boot  and  spur. 

The  untiring  energy  of  William 
H.  Horstmann  could  not  go  on  for- 
ever. He  was  reaching  the  age  when 
nature  imposes  physical  limitations 
that  could  not  be  disregarded.  His 
spirits,  however,  were  still  like  those 
of  a  boy,  exuberant  as  ever,  and  he 
planned  another  trip  abroad.  Vari- 
ous things  interposed,  and  the  idea 
had  to  be  given  up. 
In  the  year  1850  he  commenced  to  take  more  leisure,  and 
accompanied  by  his  wife  he  went  to  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  with  the 
hope  of  benefiting  in  health  by  a  change  of  scene.  This  hope 
was  not  realized,  for  soon  after  he  was  taken  ill,  and  on 
August  5th  he  passed  away. 

All  through  life  Mr.  Horstmann  retained  great  affection 
for  the  country  of  his  birth.  Nevertheless  he  took  great  pride 
in  the  land  of  his  adoption,  and  from  the  time  of  assuming 
citizenship  in  due  course  after  his  arrival  up  to  the  end  of  life 
he  was  a  staunch  upholder  of  civil  liberty  and  freedom  of 
opinion.  Although  deeply  interested  in  national  and  state 
problems,  he  was  no  politician.    He  was  eminently  practical 

26 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  S  GRAVE 
Fifth  and  Arch  Streets 


ill  everything,  took  little  interest  in  polemics  and  had  scant 
patience  with  demagogues  and  theorists.  He  believed  in  free- 
dom for  all,  but  not  license,  and  was  a  strong  upholder  of 
respect  for  the  laws  made  by  a  free  people  for  their  own  self- 
government  and  he  frequently  expressed  himself  in  terms 
of  warm  approval  of  the  splendid  advantages  open  to  all 
classes  alike  in  this  favored  land  of  America. 

The  old  Arch  Street  house  was  an  hospitable  abode.  Music 
and  sister  arts  found  an  appreciative  response  in  the  genial 
temperament  of  Mr.  Horstmann,  and  many  celebrated  artists 
such  as  Ole  Bull,  a  daughter  of  the  composer  Spohr,  Taglioni 
and  others  were  entertained  with  warm-hearted  hospitality, 
while  poor  and  less  fortunate  disciples  of  the  muses  could 
always  draw  upon  his  bounty. 

The  features  of  the  life  of  William  H.  Horstmann  that 
stand  out  boldly  are  industry,  integrity,  affection  and  sim- 
plicity of  life  and  so  closely  did  his  sons  follow  his  footsteps 
that  their  lives  read  almost  as  a  continuation  of  that  of  the 
founder  of  the  house  in  their  possession  of  the  qualities  that 
distinguished  him. 

SigTiiund  H.  Horstmann  visited  Europe  with  his  family  in 
the  year  1869,  in  search  of  health,  having  sutfered  for  years 
from  a  painful  disease.  Medical  specialists  were  unable  to 
afford  relief,  and  he  died  abroad,  in  Rome,  at  the  early  age 
of  forty-nine. 

William  J.  Horstmann  was  deeply  affected  by  the  loss  of 
his  brother,  for  so  closely  had  they  worked  together  that  each 
looked  upon  the  other  as  another  self.  Their  brotherly  affec- 
tion was  unbounded.  William  always  carried  this  grief  in  his 
heart,  and  it  soon  became  apparent  that  his  health  was  failing. 
He  visited  California  in  1872,  and  seemed  to  suffer  more  from 
mental  and  physical  dejection  than  from  any  other  cause.  He 
was  unable  to  rally  after  his  long  railroad  journey,  and  the 
end  came  in  the  month  of  May.  He  was  actively  identified 
with  many  of  the  financial  institutions  and  benevolent  so- 
cieties of  his  day,  and  shortly  before  his  death  had  been 
appointed  by  the  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  as  one  of  the 
Commission  for  the  Centennial  Exhibition. 

27 


A  lesson  of  importance  may  be  learned  from  the  record 
contained  in  these  pages  of  the  lives  of  William  H.  Horstmann 
and  his  sons:  ability,  application,  intelligent  and  consistent 
purpose,  honesty, — all  these  are  principal  elements  in  busi- 
ness success  and  these  great  qualities,  important  as  they 
were  in  the  olden  days,  are  now  of  even  greater  consequence 
in  the  more  complicated  business  relations  of  modern  times. 
Lives  such  as  these,  therefore,  have  a  significance  more  than 
local  or  personal,  for  they  constitute  permanent  monuments, 
stirring  the  imagination  of  the  younger  generation  as  they 
point  out  a  clear  course  along  the  road  that  leads  to  great  and 
deserved  success. 

To  complete  the  chronicles  of  the  business  and  bring  them 
down  to  present  times,  the  following  particulars  are  added: 

After  the  death  of  William  J.  Horstmann  in  1872,  the 
business  of  Wm.  H.  Horstmann  &  Sons  was  conducted  by  the 
Executors  of  his  estate.  Others  in  interest  then  were  Samuel 
Clarkson,  whose  connection  with  the  business  dated  from 
1867,  F.  Oden  Horstmann  and  Walter  Horstmann,  sons  of 
William  J.  Horstmann,  Albert  Weihenmayer,  William 
Schultz,  Jr.,  and  George  H.  Schultz. 

From  the  same  date  the  military  branch  of  the  business 
was  conducted  by  F.  Oden  Horstmann  and  Henry  V.  Allien, 
as  Horstmann  Brothers  and  Company,  in  Philadelphia,  with 
a  branch  in  New  York  under  the  name  of  Horstmann  Brothers 
and  Allien,  in  which  Laurent  H.  Allien,  a  son  of  Henry  V. 
Allien,  was  also  interested.  In  January,  1877,  both  of  these 
co-partnerships  were  dissolved.  The  firm  of  Horstmann 
Brothers  and  Company  was  continued  from  the  year  1877 
until  the  incorporation  of  the  business  in  the  year  1893  by 
F.  Oden  and  Walter  Horstmann.  J.  Howard  Mecke  also  had 
an  interest  until  his  death  in  the  year  1887. 

In  the  year  1893  the  two  branches  of  the  business  were 
consolidated  and  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  under  the  name  of  Wm.  H.  Horstmann 
Company. 

The  first  president  of  the  new  Company  was   Samuel 

28 


Clarkson,  whose  death  in  August,  1894,  came  only  a  few 
months  after  his  election.  In  September  of  the  same  year 
Walter  Horstmann,  who  had  been  associated  with  the  business 
since  the  year  1876,  was  elected  president,  and  has  continued 
in  that  position  up  to  the  present  time. 

F.  Oden  Horstmann 's  health  having  failed  in  1893,  he 
was  obliged  to  give  up  active  business  and  remove  to  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  although  he  continued  as  a  director  of  the 
Company  until  his  death  in  October,  1894.  His  son,  F.  Oden 
Horstmann,  Jr.,  representing  the  fourth  generation  of  the 
family,  was  also  a  director  from  1903  until  his  death  in 
June,  1912. 


i 


PART  II 

THE  BUSINESS  TO-DAY 


PART  II 

THE  BUSINESS  TO-DAY 

IME  has  wrought  great  changes  in  every  depart- 
ment of  life  since  the  clays  of  a  hundred  years 
ago  when  the  foundation  of  the  business  of 
Wm.  H.  Horstmann  Company  was  laid.  In  no 
field  of  human  activity  are  these  changes  more 
apparent  than  in  the  conduct  of  modern  business. 

The  feature  of  present-day  business  that  stands  out  boldly 
and  distinguishes  it  so  greatly  in  comparison  with  the  past  is 
the  all-important  one  of  efficient  organization.  It  is  no  longer 
possible  for  a  business  head  to  conduct  large  affairs  by  direct 
personal  management  of  every  department.  The  volume  of 
business  of  a  large  mercantile  concern  to-day  is  too  vast  for 
one  man  to  carry.  To  be  successful  a  manufacturer  or  mer- 
chant of  the  twentieth  century  must  possess  the  gift  of  gen- 
eralship to  a  superlative  degree.  The  purchase  of  raw 
material  in  the  markets  of  the  world,  the  maintenance  of  an 
extensive  manufacturing  plant,  the  addition  of  new  inven- 
tions and  processes,  the  care  of  hundreds  of  working  people 
engaged  in  a  diversity  of  occupations,  the  marketing  of  the 
product,  the  supervision  of  the  sales  force  and  clerical  staff, 
the  important  responsibility  of  banking  and  financing — these 
and  other  divisions  of  effort  all  call  for  an  army  of  com- 
petent administrators  as  heads  of  the  various  departments  of 
mercantile  life.  Conducting  all  these  activities  there  must  be 
the  master  minds  of  the  business  executives  to  decide,  direct, 
co-ordinate  and  guide  the  various  semi-independent  parts  and 
bind  them  into  one  homogeneous  entity,  so  that  by  skilful 
pilotage,  wise  counsel,  enthusiasm  and  intimate  knowledge  of 
human  affairs  the  whole  enterprise  shall  be  conducted  year  by 
year  with  steadily  increasing  success. 

Those  who  have  read  the  first  portion  of  this  history,  and 
who  have  followed  the  growth  of  the  business  of  Wm.  H. 

33 


Horstmann  Company  and  its  gradual  extension  into  the 
manufacture  of  lines  of  great  diversity,  will  understand  that 
the  organization  of  to-day  naturally  divides  the  business  into 
three  principal  parts  or  sections:  The  Manufacturing  De- 
partment, known  as  Section  D,  and  the  two  Selling  Depart- 
ments, Sections  A  and  B  respectively. 

Section  A  markets  the  general  line  of  products  of  Section  D 

and,  in  addition,  is  a  large  importer 
of  goods  of  foreign  origin.     It,  in  i 
turn,  is  divided  into  the  following  I 
departments :  Columbia  Yarns  and 
Knit  Goods;  Columbia  Cottons;  Im- 
ported  Small  Wares;   Embroidery  [ 
Materials  and  Art  Needlework ;  Up- 
holstery and  Limousine  Trimmings. 
The    'Columbia'    trademark    is    a 
valuable  asset  of  this  branch  of  the 
business,  being  recognized  throughout  the  country  as  a  guar- 
antee of  both  excellence  of  product  and  honest  dealing. 

Section  B  has  to  do  exclusively  with  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  Military  Equipments  and 
Uniforms;  Masonic  and  Secret  So- 
ciety Goods ;  Gold  and  Silver  Trim- 
mings ;  Flags,  Banners,  Church  and 
Costumers'  Materials.  These  serve 
to  give  but  a  hint  of  the  immense 
variety  of  goods  dealt  in.  This 
Section  also  is  divided  into  sub- 
departments,  under  individual  man- 
agement, including  the  important 
Contract  Department.  Commencing 
with  the  Mexican  War  the  house  has  for  three  generations  sup- 
plied goods  to  practically  every  Department  of  the  National 
Government,  and  to-day  enjoys  an  enviable  reputation  with 
all.  The  trademark  of  Section  B  is  the  'Knight  in  Armor.' 
The  head  of  the  organization,  a  grandson  of  the  founder, 
is  Mr.  Walter  Horstmann,  whose  active  service  dates  from 
the  year  1876,  and  who  has  acted  as  President  since  1894. 


34 


Mr.  Horstmann  exercises  general  control  over  all  activities, 
cares  for  the  banking  and  finances,  and  directs  the  general 
policy  of  the  company. 

The  Vice-President  is  Mr.  Samuel  Eckert,  associated  with 
the  business  since  1872,  He  is  the  administrative  head  of  all 
the  activities  of  Section  'A.' 

Mr.  George  Eiler,  Jr.,  is  the  General  Manager.  He  has  been 
connected  with  the  business  since  1869,  and  is  the  administra- 
tive head  over  the  various  departments  of  Section  'B.' 


ADMINISTRATIVE    SECTION 


Mr.  Henry  Freund,  the  Treasurer,  has  a  long  period  of 
activity  to  his  credit.  He  has  been  connected  ^^dth  the  business 
since  1856.  He  supervises  the  departments  of  Credits  and 
Accounting  for  both  Sections  'A'  and  'B.' 

The  Secretary  is  Mr.  Harry  McManus,  who  has  filled  that 
position  since  the  incorporation  in  1893,  and  has  been  in  the 
service  of  the  house  since  1871. 

Other  directors  of  the  Company  are  Mr.  Edwin  S.  Dixon, 
whose  term  of  office  began  in  1891,  and  Mr.  Sidney  Small,  of 
Toronto,  who  was  elected  in  1908. 

In  connection  with  general  organization  it  is  interesting  to 


35 


note  that  there  is  a  Managers'  Association,  formed  of  the 
active  heads  of  all  departments.  The  association  has  regular 
meetings,  and  its  object  is  a  free  exchange  of  all  ideas  that 
tend  to  give  the  several  departments  a  knowledge  of  each 
other's  requirements,  and  so  promote  the  working  out  of 
efficiency  methods  that  are  for  the  best  interests  of  the  whole 
business.  The  heads  of  the  manufacturing  departments  also 
have  a  similar  organization,  with  stated  meetings,  and  their 
work,  like  that  of  the  Managers'  Association,  is  of  great 
value  in  promoting  scientific  co-operation  of  all  activities. 
The  business  of  Wm.  H.  Horstmann  Company  employs  over 


A   NOON-DAY    GATHERING   IN   THE   RECREATION   ROOM 

six  hundred  people,  two  hundred  of  whom  are  in  the  Clerical 
and  Sales  Departments.  Separate  staffs  are  maintained  in 
the  New  York  and  Baltimore  branches.  The  floor  space 
occupied  in  the  various  buildings  at  Fifth  and  Cherry  Streets 
is  approximately  four  acres. 

Experience  has  always  been  of  the  utmost  value  in  the 
conduct  of  human  affairs,  and  in  this  connection  the  unusual 
terms  of  service  of  many  of  the  employes  is  noteworthy. 
There  are  three  who  have  been  in  active  service  for  fifty 
years  or  more.  Ten  have  served  from  forty  to  fifty  years, 
twenty-one  have  periods  of  thirty  to  forty  years  to  their 
credit,   and  there   are   thirty-five   others   whose   period   of 

36 


service  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  years.    This  makes  a  total 

of  sixty-nine  employes  who  have  been  with  the  Company  for 

periods  of  twenty  years  and  longer  and  who  are  still  in  active 

service.     In  addition  to  these  there  are  several  others  who 

I  have  an  active  service  record  of  from  forty  to  nearly  sixty 

i  years.    These,  being  on  the  pension  list  of  Wm.  H.  Horstmann 

[  Company,  are  not  included  in  the  above. 

In  addition  to  the  general  organization  there  are  nmnerous 
!  associations  that  tend  to  promote  efficiency,  excellence  of 
^product,  ideal  conditions  and  general  esprit  de  corps;  some 
[account  of  them  has  a  fitting  place  here.     Agencies  that 


THE    LUNCH    ROOM 


minister  directly  to  the  well-being  and  comfort  of  the  working 
force  include :  The  Wm.  H.  Horstmann  Company  Relief  Asso- 
ciation, which  provides  for  sick  and  death  benefits  and  also 
renders  assistance  even  to  those  who  may  not  happen  to  be 
members ;  a  Recreation  Room,  where  social  entertainments, 
lectures  and  concerts  are  given  weekly,  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Y.  W.  C.  A. ;  a  Restaurant,  where  well-prepared  food  is 
supplied  at  cost  prices ;  a  Hospital  Room  fitted  with  all  neces- 
sary appliances ;  where  first  aid  to  the  injured  is  given ;  where 
also  are  treated  those  emergencies  that  arise  where  a  large 
working  force  is  employed. 

The  motto,  'Safety  First,'  has  a  real  meaning  here,  and 


37 


everything  possible  is  done  to  safeguard  from  injury  by  a 
rigid  system  of  housing  the  exposed  parts  of  working  ma- 
chinery and,  in  addition,  every  care  is  taken  to  inculcate 
habits  of  neatness,  precision  and  order  as  necessary  for 
safety.  There  is  an  Athletic  Association ;  Suggestion  Boxes 
in  which  anyone  may  place  a  missive  containing  ideas  calcu- 
lated to  promote  betterment  of  conditions ;  a  Bulletin  Board 
for  posting  general  notices  of  interest  and  there  are  '  Clean- 
ing Premiums'  as  reward  for  tidiness,  neatness,  order  and 
punctuality.     Then  there  are  gifts  of  free  membership  of  \ 


FIRST    AID 


4 


the  Franklin  Institute  for  a  certain  number  of  deserving 
employes. 

There  is  also  a  Committee  of  Safety  made  up  of  the  heads 
of  the  various  manufacturing  departments,  with  the  superin- 
tendent as  Chairman.  It  is  the  function  of  this  committee 
to  receive  and  make  suggestions  for  eliminating  accidents 
as  much  as  is  humanly  possible.  The  importance  of  pro- 
tection against  fire  is  fully  realized  by  all,  and  a  wonderful 
degree  of  efficiency  has  been  gained  by  a  systematic  study 
of  the  whole  problem.  In  addition  to  the  Automatic  Sprink- 
ling System,  apparatus  for  emergency  use  is  found  through- 
out the  whole  establishment.  There  are  also  monthly  fire 
drills  in  which  all  employes  take  their  proper  stations.     The 


38 


1 


■■■%. 

Illalllll  H  ■■ 

JsassBttSS 


thorougli  character  of  these  precautions  has  been  commented 
upon  by  State  Officials  in  the  highest  terms,  and  the  excellent 
record  of  getting  300  people  out  of  one  of  the  buildings  in 
two  minutes  and  a  half  is  evidence  both  convincing  and 
conclusive  in  character. 

Showing  the  care  that  is  taken  to  build  up  ideal  conditions 
and  an  environment  adapted  to  bring  forth  the  best  that  is  in 
everyone,  no  better  illustration  could  be  given  than  to  cite  the 
monthly  magazine,  'Chat/  conducted  entirely  by  employes  of 
the  Company.  This  bright  little  serial 
is  both  pleasing  and  useful  in  char- 
acter, gives  useful  extracts  relating 
to  manufacturing  and  producing 
processes,  and  has  many  columns  of 
educational  value. 

With  a  purchasing  branch  in 
Paris,  a  manufacturing  plant  in 
Lyons,  with  home  selling  agencies  in 
New^  York,  Baltimore  and  Boston,  and 
a  force  of  travellers  covering  the 
whole  country,  the  Company  con- 
tinues the  uninterrupted  success  and 
expansion  that  has  followed  the 
founding  of  the  business  one  hundred 
years  ago.  The  extent  and  scope  of 
the  general  business  carried  on  is  one  of  great  volume,  to 
the  grand  total  of  which  a  large  and  rapidly  increasing  im- 
port trade  contributes  an  important  part.  The  wares  of 
the  Company  are  in  demand  in  every  State  of  the  Union  and 
in  Canada.  The  catalog-ues  of  the  firm  show^  a  diversity  of  ar- 
ticles manufactured  and  sold  that  covers  a  wide  field.  Eighty 
catalogues  of  various  kinds  of  goods  have  been  published  in 
comparatively  recent  times;  the  numerous  Secret  Societies, 
for  instance,  requiring  some  forty  catalogues  to  care  for  their 
special  requirements.  A  useful  series  of  instruction  books 
is  also  published  on  such  subjects  as  Knitting,  Needlework, 
Embroidery  and  analogous  lines,  including  the  \vell-known 
Columbia  Book  of  Yarns. 


B8 17  { 

Esnff' 

II... WP'W 


NEW    YDHK    SALESROOMS 
Fuurth  Avenue  and  18th  Street 


39 


MAIN   SALESROOMS,  SECTION  A 

Some  idea  of  the  extent  and  scope  of  the  business  trans- 
acted will  be  gained  by  walking  through  the  various  depart- 
ments, not  here  and  there  to  select  any  one  class  of  goods, 

but  in  the  more  logi- 
cal order  of  a  building 
taken  floor  by  floor. 
Before  doing  this  it 
will  be  well  on  enter- 
ing the  main  build- 
ing through  the  door 
on  Cherry  Street  to 
pause  just  within  the 
threshold  to  gain  some 
idea  of  the  general 
plan  of  the  interior. 
Standing  by  the 
doorkeeper 's  desk,  the 
view  is  both  comprehensive  and  pleasing.  Immediately  to  the 
right  are  the  show  cases  for  displaying  military,  naval  and 

40 


OFFICE    OF   YARN    DKI'AKTMKN  r 


SALES   DEPARTMENTS,    SECTION    B 


other  wares  of  Section  'B,'  and  here  are  located  what  are 
known  as  the  Military  and  Uniform  Departments.  Look- 
ing still  farther  to  the  right  is  the  entrance  to  the  other 
departments  of  Section  B.  The  manufacturing  departments 
belonging  to  this  section  are  located  in  connecting  buildings 
and  a  portion  in  the  Main  Manufacturing  Building. 

Still  standing  at  the  entrance  and  looking  directly  north, 
the  three  stories  of  Section  'A'  Warerooms  are  in  clear  view 
through  the  central  open  area  that  is  carried  up  to  the  large 
skylight  on  the  roof.  As  far  as  clear  vision  extends,  an 
amazing  variety  of  goods  may  be  seen  on  the  several  floors. 

From  the  same  post  of  observation 
near  the  door  can  be  seen  the  private 
offices  of  the  various  executives,  the 
telephone  exchange  and  numerous 
desks  belonging  to  the  subordinate 
force  assisting  in  the  workings  of  this 
vast  establishment. 

Passing  farther  in  and  taking  the 
stair  at  the  left,  an  entrance  to  the 
Mill  or  Manufacturing  Building  is 
gained,  and  using  the  elevator  the  tour 
of  observation  begins  at  the  fifth  floor. 
A  room  60  x  100  feet  is  devoted  to 
the  manufacture  of  a  great  variety  of 
cords  and  chenilles  composed  of  silk,  cotton  and  worsted  to  be 
used  either  as  the  finished  product  or  in  connection  with 
further  machine-  or  hand-work  in  the  several  departments  of 
the  mill. 

The  hand-work  on  Upholstery  Trimmings,  consisting  of 
fringes,  loops,  etc.,  as  well  as  portieres,  is  done  here. 

The  remaining  department  on  this  floor,  one  of  the  busiest 
to  be  seen,  is  devoted  to  the  skeining,  boxing,  labelling  and 
packing  of  the  vast  line  of  mercerized  knitting,  crocheting  and 
embroidery  cotton  threads,  manufactured  by  the  Company 
under  the  trade  name  of  'Columbia  Cottons.'  Every  skein, 
ball  and  box  is  inspected  and  twice  reinspected  as  it  passes 
through  the  various  processes. 


42 


I 


The  Auditorium  or  Recreation  Room  for  the  use  of  the 
employes  also  occupies  a  portion  of  the  fifth  floor. 


MAKING    UPHOLSTERY    TRIMMINGS 


About  one-half  of  the  fourth  floor  is  devoted  to  the  balling 
machines,  with  upwards  of  four  hundred  spindles,  on  which 


PUTTING    UP    COLUMBIA    COTTONS 


are  measured,  balled  and  labelled,  the  greater  portion  of  the 
'Columbia  Cottons'  referred  to  above. 


43 


BALLING   COLUMBIA   COTTONS 


MAKING    FLAGS 


The  balance  of  this  floor  is  occupied  by  an  enormous  collec- 
tion of  braid  machines  of  almost  infinite  variety  and  by  the 
Flag  Department  where  the  United  States  bunting  flags  and 


BRAIDING    MACHINES 


SILK   THKOWING 


those  of  all   other   nations   are   made   and   where   modern 
machinery  has  entirely  taken  the  place  of  hand-work. 


45 


Rows  of  power-driven  sewing  machines,  many  of  them  of 
the  double-needle  type,  extend  the  length  of  the  room,  and 
there  are  also  machines  for  cutting  the  various  size  stars  and 
stripes  for  the  United  States  Flags  and  machines  for  folding 
the  edges  of  the  stars  with  absolute  accuracy  and  symmetry. 

In  a  large  room  on  the  third  floor  is  carried  on  the 
process  known  as  'Silk  Throwing.'  Eaw  silk,  mostly  from 
China,  is  received  in  compressed  bales,  and  is  first  soaked 
in  warm  water  and  pure  olive  oil  soap  to  remove  the  sur- 


LIMOUSIXK    TIUMMINGS 


4 


plus  gum,  so  that  the  individual  threads  can  be  separated. 
It  is  then  placed  on  reels  and  the  single  thread  is  automatically 
spooled,  after  which  it  is  doubled,  that  is,  several  threads  are 
drawn  from  as  many  spools  and  laid  side  by  side  on  a  single 
spool,  the  number  of  threads  being  governed  by  the  kind  of 


finished  silk  to  be  produced,  such  as  floss,  sewings,  etc.  The 
final  process  consists  in  spinning  or  twisting  the  threads. 
The  product  is  now  sent  to  the  store-rooms  to  be  drawn  as 
wanted  upon  requisition  from  the  various  departments  of 
the  mill. 

Also  on  this  floor  are  upwards  of  sixty  most  ingenious 
power  looms  used  in  the  production  of  a  kind  of  narrow  textile 
fabric  known  as  Coach  Lace  but  now  used  almost  exclusively 
in  trimming  limousine  automobile  bodies. 


A    TYPICAL    MODERN"    JACQUARD    RIBBON    LOOM 

The  second  floor  is  entirely  given  up  to  Power  Loom  Weav- 
ing. Over  forty  huge  looms,  ranging  to  twenty-five  feet  in 
length,  mostly  with  Jacquard  attachments  and  many  with 
two,  three  and  four  banks  of  shuttles,  form  the  equipment  of 
this  department  and  the  variety  of  output  is  almost  endless, 
including  Upholstery,  Military  and  Church  Trimmings.  An 
important  item  of  the  production  of  this  department  is  the 

47 


weaving  of  lettered  cap  bands  of  real  gold  thread  and  pure 
silk  for  the  United  States  Navy. 

Fancy  Goods  manufacturing  occupies  the  larger  portion 
of  the  first  floor.  Here  fancy  work  of  all  kinds  is  designed 
and  laid  out,  stamping  and  stencilling  being  carried  on  ex- 
tensively and  patterns  cut  for  all  kinds  of  lingerie,  infants' 
wear,  luncheon  sets,  table  covers,  doilies,  cushions,  pillow 
cases  and  similar  work.  Many  designs  of  artistic  character 
have  been  developed,  and  new  ones  are  constantly  being 


AN    UP-TO-DATE    BINDING    LOOM 


added.  In  this  department  the  large  and  steadily  increasing 
demand  for  package  goods  is  cared  for,  and  new  articles  of 
manufacture  are  always  being  added  to  the  already  large 
catalogue.  A  corps  of  industrious  women  is  kept  constantly 
busy  in  running  a  whole  battery  of  power  sewing  machines, 
not  the  ordinary  domestic  machines,  but  those  of  special  con- 
struction adapted  to  perform  many  diverse  functions  that 
call  for  skill  and  intelligence  in  use. 


MAKING   STAMPED   GOODS 


On  this  same  floor  is  the  Stock  Eoom  where  the  materials 
are  stored  to  be  sent  on  requisition  to  the  various  departments 
throughout  the  mill.  This  material  is  all  on  spools,  the  bulk 
stock  being  stored  in  the  basement  directly  underneath. 

The  basement  is  principally  devoted  to  the  Spooling,  Reel- 
ing, Twisting  and  Packing  of  the  famous  Columbia  Yarns. 


REELING  AND  PACKING  COLUMBIA  YARNS 


Here  the  yarn  is  put  through  the  various  processes,  until  it 
finally  reaches  the  carton  state,  each  skein  in  its  individual 
wrapper  of  white  tissue,  so  familiar  to  dealers  in  Art  Needle- 
work Materials  all  over  the  United  States. 

The  remaining  manufacturing  departments  are  those 
grouped  as  part  of  Section  'B,'  being  the  Military,  Naval, 
Masonic  and  Secret  Society  branch  of  the  general  business. 

The  Metal  Shop  has  its  own  special  machinery,  and  has 
ample  brazing  facilities  together  with  its  own  polishing  and 


SWORD    AND   METAL   WORKERS 


plating  plant  with  provision  for  plating  in  various  metals. 
Army  and  Navy  swords  of  all  kinds  are  made,  as  well  as  those 
for  secret  society  work  and  for  fencing  and  stage  use ;  crowns, 
sceptres  and  daggers  are  also  made.  The  metal  guards 
of  ornamental  design  are  cast,  ground,  polished  and  plated, 
and  have  the  blades  accurately  fitted  with  the  care  such 
work  demands ;  the  scabbards,  metal  fittings  for  swords,  belts 
and  all  the  other  numerous  metal  parts  needed  in  mili- 
tary accoutrements  are  manufactured  here.  Some  idea  of 
the  immense  variety  of  these  is  gained  by  an  examination  of 


50 


the  hundred  and  one  metal  parts  that  are  stored  in  racks 
ready  for  hand  and  machine  operation. 

Wood-working  is  carried  on  in  another  part  of  the  same 
building-,  and  here  flag-staffs,  flag  and  banner  poles  are  made, 
as  well  as  all  kinds  of  lodge  furniture. 

Mention  should  also  be  made  of  a  completely  equipped 
Machine  Shop  for  the  building  of  new  and  especially  designed 
machinery  and  for  making  the  countless  changes  and  repairs 
incidental  to  manufacturing. 


\S  UOD-WORKING    SHOP 


The  Uniform  Department  is  housed  in  a  separate  building 
at  the  Race  Street  end  of  the  plant  and  is  completely  equipped 
with  all  the  most  recent  labor-saving  devices.  Here  the  cloth, 
as  it  comes  from  the  mills,  can  be  seen  going  through  the 
various  processes  of  manufacture  to  the  finished  garment 
ready  to  wear. 

The  Leather  Department  of  Section  'B'  is  in  still  another 
building,  and  here  a  very  extensive  manufacture  of  leather 
goods  is  carried  on.  Leggings,  leg  protectors  for  foundry 
metal-workers,  service  belts,  horse  equipment,  such  as  saddles. 


51 


bridles  and  guards;  sword  scabbards  and  cases;  chapeau, 
epaulette  and  belt  cases ;  suit  cases  and  leather  containers  of 
all  kinds ;  bugle  straps,  flag  belts,  music  pouches,  helmets  and 
hats  for  military,  firemen  and  secret  society  use,  with  sandals 
and  many  other  articles  are  here  to  be  seen. 

The  Regalia  Manufacturing  Room  is  another  extremely 
busy  centre,  and  one  full  of  interest  because  of  the  variety  of 
the  articles  found  there.  All  sorts  of  Robes  and  Garments, 
from  the  very  plain  to  the  most  elaborate,  for  use  in  the 


MANUFACTURING    REGALIA 


various  rituals  of  Masonic  and  Secret  Society  work,  are  made. 
Banners  of  all  kinds  for  Churches,  Schools  and  Colleges  in 
various  stages  of  work  are  seen  here.  Many  power  sewing 
machines  are  used  and  considerable  hand  sewing  is  also 
required. 

In  the  Embroidery  Department  the  work  is  entirely  done 
by  hand  and  the  work  is  of  such  a  nature  that  it  requires 
highly  skilled  labor.  Various  designs  may  be  seen  worked 
with  gold  and  silver  bullion ;  this  is  cut  to  the  desired  length 
before  threading  it  with  the  needle  and  it  is  gradually  worked 

52 


into  the  design  piece  by  piece.  The  workers  are  seated  at  the 
long  embroidery  frames  busy  on  the  various  devices  repre- 
senting the  different  ranks  and  branches  of  service  of  the 
Army  and  Navy.  Emblems  for  Regalia,  Templar  Crosses, 
Centres  for  Banners  are  seen  in  great  variety. 

After  reading  of  all  these  activities  it  must  be  apparent 
that  the  handling,  packing  and  shipping  is  no  light  task ;  and 
with  such  a  multitude  of  wares  a  system,  perfect  in  all  its 
details,  is  the  only  one  that  could  meet  the  exigency  of  the 


HAND    EMBROIDERY   DEPARTMENT 


case.  It  is  a  business  that  calls  for  careful  accounting  in  all 
departments,  and  particularly  so  in  the  busy  main  channels 
through  which  the  whole  output  is  constantly  flowing.  The 
Charging  Department  has  excellent  and  well-proved  facilities, 
and  a  system  that  has  been  developed  and  worked  out  by  long 
experience.  Order  is  its  mainspring,  and  all  its  parts  work 
smoothly  in  accurate  inter-relation.  It  has  its  own  office  and 
clerical  staff  to  care  for  its  departmental  details. 

Closely  linked  with  the  foregoing  is  the  Packing  Depart- 
ment.    There  are  separate  divisions  for  railroad  freight. 


53 


steamboat  and  express.    In  addition  there  is  a  Parcel  Post 
Division  for  sending  out  small  packages. 

There  are  various  offices  in  connection  with  the  conduct  of 
routine  clerical  duties  in  the  different  departments;  also 
other  offices  that  have  one  definite  function  in  connection  with 
some  specific  detail,  such  as  receiving,  tracing,  invoicing,  etc., 
and  still  others  that  are  almost  general,  and  not  departmental, 
that  carry  on  certain  lines  of  administrative  work  connected 


ACCOUNTING    DEPARTMENT 


with  all  departments ;  but  these  are  all  tributary  to  the  gen- 
eral or  administrative  offices,  and  in  some  form  or  other  their 
transactions  must  finally  pass  through  the  clearing  house  that 
is  known  as  the  Counting  Room.  This,  with  the  closely-allied 
Credit  Department,  is  the  financial  and  accounting  heart  of 
the  whole  system,  the  citadel  of  mercantile  activity,  the 
channel  through  which  the  whole  volume  of  business  must 
flow ;  the  same  attention  to  system  and  order  so  noticeable  in 
all  the  departments  is  accentuated  here. 


54 


Looking  back  one  hundred  years,  the  contrast  is  almost 
overwhelming.  No  railroads,  no  steamships,  no  electric  cars, 
no  automobiles,  no  illuminating  gas,  no  electric  light,  no  type- 
writer, no  telegraph,  no  telephone !  All  these  blessings,  and 
more,  have  come  in  the  century  that  began  with  Waterloo. 
The  department  of  business  administration  naturally  reflects 
this  advancement  in  life 's  activities,  and  ingenious  men  have 
provided  facilities  of  every  kind  as  an  aid  to  the  dispatch  of 
the  business  of  to-day.  In  this  connection  it  is  not  too  much 
to  state  that  only  by  the  use  of  these  labor-saving  devices 
could  the  great  extent  and  complexity  of  modern  business  be 
mastered. 

In  presenting  their  friends  with  this  volume  in  commem- 
oration of  The  Centennial  Year  of  the  business  of  Wm.  H. 
Horstmann  Company,  the  Directors  desire  to  express  their 
sincere  appreciation  of  all  the  pleasant  relations  of  the 
past.  The  second  part,  giving  the  history  of  the  business  of 
to-day,  is,  as  near  as  it  is  possible  to  make  it  so,  an  accurate 
description.  All  the  illustrations  are  reproductions  of 
photographs  recently  taken,  and  show  conditions  as  they 
actually  are  to-day.  It  affords  the  Directors  pleasure  and 
satisfaction  to  greet  their  business  and  personal  friends  with 
the  wish  that  the  coming  years  may  bring  happiness  and 
prosperity  to  all. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  I 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


Series  9482 


